The book keeps all the promises that it makes.’ —The Booker Prize Citation, 14 October 1997 ‘A novel of real ambition must invent its own language, and this one does…’ —John Updike, The New Yorker ‘A masterpiece, utterly exceptional in every way.’ —Harpers and Queen ‘A banquet for all the senses we bring to reading.’ —Newsweek ‘A sad story, told very hilariously, very tenderly and very craftily.’ —The Pioneer ‘It is rare to find a book that so effectively cuts through the clothes of nationality, caste and religion to reveal the bare bones of humanity.’ —Daily Telegraph International No 1 bestseller Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize